Hotel Sun Hatoya

The baths were the highlight for me. They’re huge, with plenty of washing spots and baskets, and there were warm areas where you could linger. The floors switch each day: Sea Turtle and the open-air bath are on the second, Shark and the semi-open-air bath on the third. One child thought the tank was connected to the sea, but it isn’t. The fish looked well fed, and the turtle was enormous, bigger than any I’d seen at an aquarium. I couldn’t find a list of the spring properties, though the water felt like it might help circulation. It reminded me more of Atami than Izu. This is a big tourist hotel with the feel of the 1950s and 60s, when group trips to hot spring resorts were common. It’s well known around Tokai, partly because of its commercials, and I joined a group tour because I wanted to stay here. Our room was on the 12th floor, with a sea view angled a little toward the road. It had tatami, a veranda, futons, and a private bath and separate toilet. The TV was about 24 inches, there were three power outlets, and no free Wi-Fi. The old-style key was a pain: there was just one for the whole room, so our group of four had to coordinate around whoever had it. I didn’t notice any bad smell. After the banquet I went for a soak, got into the futon, and was asleep right away. I woke hazily after only four hours. Dinner was the usual inn-style group banquet, with solid-fuel dishes and grilled food alongside sashimi, fried items, and simmered dishes. Most of it was tasty seafood. Breakfast was a buffet, probably the same one regular guests get. Western dishes were on the left and Japanese ones on the right. The Western side felt like standard business hotel food; I’d go for the Japanese side, where you can make things like a whitebait rice bowl. There’s a theater hall that can seat 300, plus karaoke, a game center, dance hall, pool, and fishing pond. The game machines looked about 20 years old. The souvenir shop had local goods and Hatoya merchandise, and there’s a lobby gachapon with miniature Hatoya items for ¥300 a turn. The staff were different ages and nationalities, with quite a few older people and Southeast Asian staff. We didn’t interact much as individuals in such a large group, but the way they coordinated a banquet for 300 people was impressive. The main hassles were the single room key, no Wi-Fi, and the long walk from the rooms to the baths. A friend said the 4G seemed slow at times, maybe because of congestion. The bath water kept me from feeling chilled afterward, and walking around in a yukata was nice, but it’s not easy to pop back to the room and go again. The elevators are old and the doors close frighteningly fast without sensors. You have to hold the open button or risk getting caught. I saw someone get pinched three times during my stay. The place seems set up for groups and families, so solo guests may find it less convenient. If it suits your needs, though, it’s a nostalgic place to enjoy the ocean.